Genre’s Best Writers to Contribute Against Fellow Writer’s Cancer Debt

SEATTLE, WA — Grim Oak Press, a new publishing company formed by webmaster and freelance writer Shawn Speakman, will be producing Unfettered, a fantasy short story anthology by some of the best writers in the genre, for a very good cause.

In 2011, Speakman was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He completed the recommended chemotherapy, but lacking health insurance, the treatment left him with almost $200,000 of financial debt. At the suggestion of New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks, and with the help of nearly two dozen authors who call Speakman a friend, Grim Oak Press will publish the short story anthology Unfettered, with the proceeds helping to alleviate the medical bills.

Some of the authors will be writing short stories set in the fantasy worlds that made them famous. Other writers will be creating entirely new tales. The contribution by so many noteworthy authors of bestselling titles speaks to the generosity found within the science fiction and fantasy communities.

Unfettered will be published as a trade hardcover as well as a leather-bound, signed and numbered edition limited to 500 copies and autographed by all contributors. Speakman will also publish his full-length urban/high fantasy novel, The Dark Thorn, through Grim Oak Press to further offset treatment expenses.

Orders are currently being accepted for The Dark Thorn, which is tentatively scheduled to publish in August 2012. Unfettered will be released by early 2013.

# # #

If you’d like more information about Grim Oak Press or wish to set up an interview about its projects, please email Shawn Speakman at shawn@grimoakpress.com

For anyone with even a vague interest in Epic/High/Secondary World/Traditional/Whatever Fantasy, that’s a monstrous who’s-who list of the biggest names in the industry at the moment.
In case you missed it, the list of authors contributing to the anthology includes:

Terry Brooks

Patrick Rothfuss

Naomi Novik

Brandon Sanderson

RA Salvatore

Tad Williams

Jacqueline Carey

Daniel Abraham

Peter V.Brett

Robert VS Redick

Peter Orullian

Todd Lockwood

Carrie Vaughn

Blake Charlton

Kevin Hearne

Mark Lawrence

David Anthony Durham

Jennifer Bosworth

Lev Grossman

Steven Erikson

and Shawn Speakman

Included there are some of my favourite new authors, like Daniel Abraham (serious, his latest series is tremendous), David Anthony Durham and Lev Grossman, along with many of the writers that inspired me and first turned me towards the world of Fantasy, like Terry Brooks and Tad Williams. Frankly, with just a few small changes, this is about as close to a perfect lineup as I could ask for for an anthology of this kind. Congratulations to Speakman for assembling such a cast.

I wrote Neil and he didn’t respond but he was on the road late last year so maybe he didn’t get it? I’ll send him the press release and see if he’s interested at all. China wants to partake badly but he says he’s just not a short story writer. Robin Hobb said the same thing to me. Both are good friends, so I take them at their word. I didn’t ask Richard Morgan; that might be a good idea. :) Thanks!

And yes, Bryce. Todd Lockwood is contributing a short story to the anthology as well as designing and painting its cover. He’s written a dragon-influenced novel which is pretty damn good — read one of the drafts early last year — and he’ll be writing his short story in that world. Pretty cool.

That sounds awesome, thanks Shawn. It seems to go hand in hand – the ability to realize an image both visually and through words. Look at Janny Wurts and Michael J. Sullivan, both talented artists and writers. Very much looking forward to this anthology.